Us
by micheleNasser
Summary: Though their journey may be full of many emotional ups and downs, Natalie and Monk would in time realize that what they need has been there all the time. One shot divided in two chapters. Written by a fan from Kawasaki, Japan.
1. Chapter 1

**This story was written by Kawasakifan, from the USA Monk Board. In his own words: "I wrote this little story for fans like you and me to find some kind of comfort for I think we felt the final episode did an injustice to the lives of these two people who many fans believed were destined to be together."  
****So, if you are a shipper like KF and me, I'm sure you'll enjoy this one shot story splitted in two chapters. And don't be shy, leave your review after reading it!**

**Have fun!**

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**US**

CHAPTER I

Worm out from chasing around town with Monk till late at night a third time this week to find and arrest a serial killer of young women, Natalie walks slowly on the path toward her house. She sees a light shining inside, then unlocks the door and goes inside. The now familiar site of a white naval officer's coat brings a smile to her weary face. Aroused by the thought of a long night of loving companionship, she calls "I'm home" and enters the living room to find Lt. Albright asleep on the couch.

"Hi sleepy head,. Sorry I am so late."

"Hi. What time is it?

"It's after 9."

Albright stretches and yawning, says, "You know, Nat, this is the third time this week you have been out this late."

"Really? I've been too tired to keep track." Natalie sits down beside him and lays her head on his shoulder.

"You working such long hours would be tolerable if that mister of a boss of yours would, at least, pay you overtime. You've certainly earned it!"

Wanting to kiss her, he searches for her mouth, but not in the mood for romance right now she suddenly stands up.

"Please let's don't get into this again, Stevie. There is serial killer out there and another victim was found today. The whole department has been mobilized but so far we haven't a clue." She walks to the kitchen.

After a pause, Steven stands up and follows Natalie, speaking in a soft tone, "Well, I have good news. After tomorrow there won't be any more need to go around looking for a murderer late at night; no more arguing about no overtime pay nor the need to continue to fear for your life: we can get married tomorrow and fly to Japan."

Natalie stops. Slowly she turns back to him and with a shy smile on her face she asks, "Getting married and flying to Japan? Lieutenant Steven Albright, what on earth are you talking about?"

"Nat, let me backtrack." He reaches for her and takes hold of her waist, pulling her closer to him, "About a month ago a notice appeared on the barracks bulletin board that a billet was opening up at the Naval Hospital in Atsugi, Japan, for a three year period and I put in for it" Nat looks suspicioulsy at him, making him change his tone, "but not really expecting I'd get picked. I didn't tell you because I didn't want to get your hopes up, but orders arrived this morning for me and I will fly to Japan tomorrow afternoon."

"That's wonderful news. You've talked about wanting to transfer to Europe or Japan and now its come! How long will you be away?"

Albright lets go of Natalie's waist, steps back and tenderly cups her hands in his. Lowering his head, he says "Three years." He then only raises his eyes to her, keeping the head down, waiting for her reaction.

"What! You mean you'll be away for that long?" Natalie pulls her hands off his.

"No, sweetheart, what this means is that we can finally get married and you can come we with me! I spoke to the base commander and he said if we get married at the base chapel tomorrow he can make arrangements for us to fly together." Steven tries to touch Natalie's face, but again she avoids his touch.

"Us? You're making such an important decisions for _us_ you say, without even consulting me? What about Julie? And what about my job? Mr. Monk. He needs me. If I go, what will he do?"

Stung by Natalie's seeming lack of enthusiasm, dejectedly he says, "I thought you were okay with Julie going away to college a four years but, Nat, what I have a hard time understanding is why you are so concerned about what will happen to Mr. Monk. Didn't you tell me that when you came back to work for him he told he wasn't the same man he was before, that he had changed?"

Natalie sighs deeply, and goes on "Yes, I did, but he still needs someone with him."

"Well doesn't he now have a daughter to help him?"

"Yes, he has, but Molly is too young, she has her own issues, her college life, and she doesn't understand Monk like I do."

Confused and worried by her unexpected reaction to the news, Albright steps back as if wanting to increase the distance between them, "Natalie, darling, what are you really saying? Is it simply that you don't want to go to Japan with me or you don't want marry me?"

Unable to reply because she really doesn't know the answer herself, Natalie looks down at the floor and repeats almost inaudibly, "Mr. Monk needs me here."

After quietly pausing for a moment, trying to comprehend what was happening, Steven says in a deep tone, "Nat, I thought that what we had was wonderful, but hearing you speak like this I really wonder if this have all been real."

He lets out a a long sigh which fills the silence, then walks up to Natalie, "I must go back to the barracks to finish packing. I love you and want to marry you. I will be at the chapel and even if you don't come, my love, I will board at 6 pm tomorrow."

Without a hug or kiss, he turns around, walks to the door and then, after putting on his jacket, he opens it and quietly leaves.

With tears forming in her eyes, overcomed by a great sense of sadness that something which seemed so promising, so wonderful at the beginning was ending this night, she stares at the receding figure of her lover as he walks away.

Natalie turns off the lights, walks to her bedroom, lies down still on her bed, wearing her street clothes, and cries herself to sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER II

It is Saturday morning and Monk is in the kitchen polishing the tableware. Suddenly there is a knock on the door and he hears Natalie's voice, "Mr. Monk, it's me."

"Natalie, what are you doing here? It's your day off. I expect you and your lieutenant would be out on a date somewhere."

"I have to talk to you. It is important."

As she reaches the kitchen, he greets his assistance with a smirk: Don't tell me you have already broken up with him ?" Then quickly turning his back to her, mumbles in a muted voice "if I could only be so lucky..." as he resumes his task at hand.

Taken back by words that were so prophetic, Natalie says nothing.

"Or have you come to tell me you are quitting and that you and your boyfriend are getting married. If that is the case then you needed have to come: a fax or letter would have been enough. In any case," masking the pain he was feeling with sarcasm, he continues, "good luck and good bye."

"Mr. Monk you have guessed right: Stevie asked me to marry him."

"Well, that is what you both have wanted, isn't it, so just go and be happy."

"Mr. Monk, please look at me." Monk stops, puts down the polisher then looks up to face Natalie. "I didn't say I said yes to him."

In a quivering voice, she goes on, "So much has happened so quickly recently; the Captain getting married, then Randy and Sharona and now I'm being asked to get married and fly to Japan leaving...." She stops then suddenly cries out, " What is this?"

"What is what?" Monk asks startled by the sudden change on Natalie's tone.

"This!" Natalie, cries out exaperated, raising her arms upwards in apparent despair.

"I think "this" is called a kitchen!" Monk answers in a confused tone.

"Dammit, will you stop, Mr. Monk? I mean this relationship we have; is it simply you and me or could it ever become "us"?"

Monk widened his eyes waiting for her burst to finish. He still doesn't know how to deal with woman's rage, specially Natalie's, so he remains quiet, listening, as she goes on "So many things have happened these past five years. Why did I go down to Nevada to look for you? Was it simply because you are my boss and I did what is expected of a loyal employee? Why am I still here? Is it only because you need me?"

After some silence, Monk replies, "I do need you, Natalie,"

Wishing for once her boss could understand what she was meaning and with her hands beginning to tremble from the deeply felt emotions erupting inside, she interrupts him, "Mr. Monk, Stevie is a thoughtful, kind and generous man and any woman would feel lucky to marry him, but not me."

Monk, saying nothing, listens intently to her confession.

"I now realize I thought I love him but now I know that I loved to be with someone who was a friend of Mitch; someone with whom I share memories about Mitch. I love to be with him, but to marry Stevie would be doing so under false pretenses. He deserves more than that."

With her voice starting to crack with emotion, she continues, "To marry him would mean I would leave my home, my daughter, and more importantly, Mr. Monk, to marry him would mean I would leave you."

At this moment, Natalie looks straight to Monk's eyes, and he could see true feelings laying in there. She then breaks the silence with a tearful smile, "For you see, I now realize I need you as well. I have stayed with you simply because I must be by your side, Mr. Monk. I can not go with Stevie because I...." .

Unable to speak any longer she begins to slower move towards Monk.

Feeling things he thought he could never feel again, frightened of the emotions he was experiencing that morning and the incapacity of dealing with his feelings, he steps back, "Natalie please don't say... please. Not... not now, not this way."

Regaining her composure, Natalie, moves back and goes on, trying to suppress the emotions she revealed a few moments before "I have decided to tell Stevie I can't marry him and that he can go to Japan alone."

Monk nodded and walked her to the door. Speaking first, he asks her, "Are you sure you know what you are doing?."

"Yes, Mr. Monk, I have never been more sure; at last I know what I really need. I'll see you Monday. Something tells me we fill find that murderer."

Monk nods and smiles back to her and. After she leaves, he moves quickly to the kitchen window to watch her as she walks down the path, gets into her car and drives away.

He then goes into the living room, turns on the TV to seek solace and an escape from emotions he fully doesn't underdstand in watching the image of his beloved Trudy dance across the screen but, as the tape begins, images of Natalie floats across his mind and he softly mutters apologetically, "Trudy, I am sorry, please forgive me for feeling this way."


	3. Chapter 3

_I affirm that all of the characters in this story are based on the TV series "Monk"  
__and only the tale of how love finally blossoms between Monk and Natalie and unites their hearts is original.  
__Kawasakifan._

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**"US" - THE CONCLUSION**

**PART ONE**

It was a Friday night, several months after Natalie had ended her relationship with the lieutenant.

It was one o'clock in the morning.

Natalie was alone in a house that was once alive with the laughter of her daughter Julie, now off to college and warmed by the comforting embrace of a now vanquished lover.

Sitting at the kitchen table, she quietly sips the cheap red wine she had bought at the local supermarket early that night and reflects on recent events hoping that the artificially inebriated high that will surely come with the last glass will help alleviate the painful loneliness surrounding her.

She stares at the cell phone on the table then, picking it up, starts to call her daughter but abruptly stops, "No this isn't a good idea, Julie will just find out that her mom is drinking again." So she redials, knowing that there is only one other person she can turn to. She speaks slowly to avoid slurring her words, "Hello, I need a cab to come and take me to the house of Mr. Adrian Monk. I live on...."

About 30 minutes later, Monk is suddenly awakened by the ringing of the telephone on the night stand by his bed.

Still half asleep, he gropes for the receiver wanting more to simply stop the annoying sound so he could go back to sleep rather than begin a conversation in the middle of the night but fully wakes up when he hears Natalie's voice,

"Mr. Monk, it's me Natalie. Are you awake?"

"Well, I am now, Natalie" Monk grumbles in reply. "What time is it? Are you OK?"

"Its almost 2 am. I am sorry to call at this hour but I am standing outside your door. Can you please let me in?"

"Since you're already here I guess I have no other choice…Wait a minute."

He puts on his bed robe and walks to the door.

Despite his initial displeasure over the nuisance of her unscheduled visit interrupting his sleep, he suddenly has a change of heart when he catches a glimpse of her through the window as she stands outside, realizing that in fact even at this hour her visit is not entirely unwelcome yet even though he sense something's happening, unaccustomed to experiencing such feelings, he doesn't fully understand their significance.

He unlocks the door and she quietly walks in, trying to put a smile.

Once inside, relieved to see that she is safe, he asks her in a worried voice, "Has something happened to Julie?"

Moved by his concern for her daughter's safety and aided by the sobering affects of the cold air, she becomes aware of how thoughtlessly inconsiderate her coming there is, so unable to look at her boss, she looks down at the floor to avoid what she thought must be a disapproving gaze and begins to explain,

"No, actually my reason for coming Mr. Monk is..."

but before she has time to finish, Monk detects the odor of alcohol on her breath and angrily interrupts her in a reprimanding tone,

"Natalie, you've been drinking, haven't you! My God, you didn't drive here in this condition, did you? You could have had an accident and been killed! Did you ever consider for a moment how Julie would have felt loosing her mother and...and...what about me, I would loose...."

Confronted openly with what she thought he really felt about her, despite what they had talked about that fateful Saturday morning, she becomes incensed and feeling betrayed, in anger cuts him off,

"You don't have to say it Mr. MONK! Let me do it for you," she says nearly in tears, "loose an assistant."

Startled by the harshness in her voice, in a conciliatory tone he replies,"Natalie, I wasn't going to say that. You are much more than an assistant to me. Didn't we already talk about this recently? I thought you understood that by now."

Feeling he was getting overwhelmed with newly found emotions he had long suppressed in his heart, he asks, "Well, if Julie isn't the reason why you have come, what is it then?"

A question that revealed he had still had much to learn about a woman's heart.

Regaining her composure, Natalie, in a subdued voice, says "Actually the reason is me. With Julie gone and…"

"The lieutenant gone also," Monk interjects as if seeking renewed confirmation.

"Yes, so now it is just me. Mr. Monk, I get so lonely sometimes, I guess I just wanted to be with a friend and on the way to emptying alone a bottle of wine, I decided to call a taxi to come and pick me up then bring me here. Mr. Monk, I know how much you value a good night rest so I won't keep you up any longer. If you can call me a taxi, I'll go back home now."

"You'll do no such thing. You can stay here tonight. But there is only one bed and that's taken so, you can sleep on the couch."

Natalie removes her coat, walks into the living room and collapses on the couch while her boss goes back to his bedroom to fetch her some bedding.

Returning with a blanket and a pillow, he stops when sees Natalie curled up on the couch with her head resting on one arm folded beneath. Touched by the sight of her laying there, an endearing smile slowly takes shape as he stares intently at the recumbent figure: a scene that ignites fleeting images of another woman who would also sometimes fall asleep on the same couch in the past.

He quietly walks over to the improvised bed, looks down at Natalie and finding himself admiring how lovely she is, he drapes the blanket over her small frame like he had done so many times before. Then, with a loving care that seemed to flow so naturally from somewhere deep within him, he tucks the edges around her exposed shoulders.

Suddenly as if he had been bewitched by the soft glow of the nearby lamp that lit up her face, he stoops down and kisses her cheek, whispering to himself "now we are even" and is startled to see that Natalie was wide awake, opened eyed, staring at him.

Confused and starting to blush, Monk quickly steps back and stutters, "I, I'm, I am sorry Natalie. I don't know what came over me. Please forgive me!"

Now sitting upright, Natalie, equally surprised and slightly dazed by what has just happened, smiles saying in a playful chuckle "I guess that was pay back!" little realizing that his kiss has also awaken within her as well, feelings towards her boss that she may have not fully understood.

Moved by his unexpected display of affection she feels the urge to stand up and run over and hug her boss but she suppresses them, wisely aware that to do so might ruin forever the wonder of this moment. So she says "Good night Mr. Monk, I'll see you tomorrow morning" and turns out the light.

Relieved that she also seemed to want to put this embarrassing moment behind them, Monk says good night and hurriedly retires to his bedroom.

After he leaves, Natalie raises her hand to her cheek and tenderly touches the spot where he had kissed her.

Though now resting in separate rooms, they are unable to sleep for both Monk and Natalie are lost in thought trying to come to terms with what has just happen, for they shared the same inexplicable feeling that something wonderful has taken place and has brought them closer, forever changing their relationship.


	4. Chapter 4

Next morning.

Unable to go back to sleep, his mind wrestling with the internal chaos of pent up as yet understood emotions unleashed by Natalie's unscheduled early morning visit, Monk gets up as the morning sun gradually lights up his bedroom.

He desperately turns to his morning hour washroom routine to somehow help him restore a sense of control within himself but, inward, agitation continues.

After completing his early grooming ritual, he picks out a hand and body towel and a bathrobe and, returning to the living room, tip toes over to the table near the couch and lays them down, adjusting each in perfect harmony.

Fighting the temptation to pause and look at Natalie asleep on the couch for fear what he might do, Monk then hurriedly leaves.

On entering the kitchen, Monk turns on the radio to an all Mozart FM station hoping the music of his favorite composer could somehow pacify him then, as he would do every morning, he begins to brew coffee.

Shortly afterwards he hears the sound of running water coming from the bathroom, followed by the soft, melodic singing of a female voice. Strangely captivated, Monk turns off the radio wondering how long it had been since he had heard a woman's voice so early in the morning and, in a moment of rare self-awareness, he realizes it was a sound that he has missed.

"She's a little off key" he tells himself but unlike the Monk of old who in hating imperfection would have turned the radio back on and turned up the volume to drown out the noise, mysteriously the sound of Natalie's sweet voice, even if out of tune, spoke to him as his wonderful Mozart could never do: he was enraptured by its simplicity, charm and even more, by its sincerity.

Forgetting about the coffee, he continues to listen but is rudely brought back to reality when the red light on the percolator starts blinking telling him that coffee is ready, redirecting his attention to the task at hand.

Soon after Natalie walks in, filling the kitchen with the fresh fragrance of that accompanies one who has just taken a shower.

"Good morning Mr. Monk. Thank you for letting me use the shower. Oh, that coffee smells good."

"Please sit down and have a cup. I just brew it."

"Thank you for the offer Mr. Monk, I could sure use some. You make great coffee. I could drink it every morning."

Monk turns around to be greeted by her smiling face and though seeming to murmur to himself "Yes, that would be nice" he does so just loud enough for Natalie to hear, wondering what her reaction would be.

There was none.

Unprepared for such response Natalie is flustered for words and unsure as to what he meant - thus the moment slips by unrecognized - she tells her boss, "Well, Mr. Monk, I ruined your sleep by coming but I don't want to ruin your day as well so I'll go back now. I'll call a cab." but only half-heartedly because in fact she wants to stay.

She doesn't have the courage to confess her true feelings, fearing disappointment.

Watching her put on her coat, Monk feels a terrible anxiety inside. Frustrated, he blurts out "Natalie, sit down. Please!"

Startled and intrigued at the same time by her boss's reaction, obediently Natalie slowly settles into the chair then continues, "Mr. Monk are you all right? You seem different this morning. Has something happened? Do you feel ill?"

Ignoring her questions, he speaks, "Natalie, I want you to stay because I want to talk to you about us."

"Us,Mr. Monk?" Natalie, surprised that he should use the same word she used several weeks ago in asking Monk at that time what their relationship meant to him, waits anxiously to see where this conversation was to lead.

"Yes, you and me and by the way," her boss, continues," don't you think it is about time you can start calling me Adrian?"

Bewildered by what was happening, she can only nod her head in agreement and then after a moment, replies "Yes, Mr. ... I mean Adrian. I would love to."

Monk put two cups on the tray, carries them over to the table and places them down. Then, sitting in the chair facing her, he reaches over the table, takes her hands and cradles them in his, marvelled at the smoothness of her skin and the warmth of her touch.

Natalie looks down at their hands still intertwined, incredulously that Monk shows no signs of discomfort or wants to let go, and senses that some profound change is taking place.

"Natalie, you know how difficult it is for me to handle changes and make quick decisions, yet there had been moments - extreme situations - when I have been lucid enough to decide and act without hesitation. Remember when I turned down the captain's invitation to rejoin force, deciding to not go back knowing that I was no longer the same person who had wanted to become a cop again?"

"Yes, I remember that, and also how you then asked me to come back."

"When I saw you standing outside the door last night waiting to come in, then you sleeping on the couch, and just now hearing you singing, everything came together within me so naturally as if it was fated to be this way, and I finally realized that when you are with a person you want to be with the rest of your life you don't waste a minute more and, and," he begins to falter, "that person is you."

Hearing such a confession of feelings for her, at first Natalie could hardly believe this was Adrian Monk speaking, but the longer she looked at him the more she could feel the depth and sincerity of his emotions and how they have magically come to roost in her heart as well.

After a brief moment of silence that seemed an eternity to both, Natalie now understanding what this new person standing in front of her was trying to say, fights back tears of happiness she had not known for many years and, slowly speaks, unsure of what the reply would be, "Adrian are you asking me to marry you?"

Timidly, her boss, regretting that he lack the skills no doubt that lieutenant had to dazzle women with words of love, he could only acknowledge what she said with a simple nod of "yes".

But then, forces himself to give expression to his feelings, "Yes, I... I guess you could say that, Natalie. I am not blind to what ails me. I have a long way to go on the road to recovery and still have many hang-ups to deal with, some which you may find hard to understand and which may never be resolved. It wouldn't be an easy marriage for you and because of that, I would understand why you would refuse but I want you to know that my inability to tell you in words what I now feel in my heart doesn't mean I couldn't or wouldn't want to care for you anymore than he could."

Overjoyed with love for that man to say anything back, Natalie stands up, walk around the table to where Adrian is sitting, looks into his face, smiles and tells him to stand up.

Hesitantly he stands up, then Natalie reaches up with one hand and starts to touch his lips but, almost instinctively, he starts to move back.

"Don't worry. I used your disinfectant to wash my hands a hundred times. Well, not that many perhaps, but, see: thei are spotlessly clean!" she chuckles, followed by Adrian who, sensing that she is poking fun at him, breaks into a smile as well and begins to speak but she presses a finger to his lips , "Hush. There is no need to talk."

Natalie kisses him gently on the lips.

Then moves back and tells him, "Yes, my darling Adrian, I will marry you."

Wanting to feel her love and unchained from his many demons, Adrian shuts out everything in his tormented mind and soul and willingly lets Natalie take the lead in helping him to relearn the lessons of the heart. She takes hold of his pliant arms and placing them around her, embraces him, feeling his arms also pulling her closer.

It was a moment they both knew that after so many years of waiting and searching, all was finally good and all was right.

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_POSTSCRIPT_

_With the completion of this tale of love between Natalie and Monk, a chapter of my virtual life that started 5 years ago when I began to post on the USA Monk Board then write stories that appeared there and now here through the assistance of a friend, as well will end. I thank the wonderful actors and writers of the series and books for providing the inspiration and those out there who read my stories and may have found a moment's delight.  
KF_


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